Coastal Construction Relies on Impact- and Wind-Resistant Composite Roofing
The bull’s eye is on us. September is the most common month for hurricanes to make landfall.
Now that Ida has passed, are you ready for Hurricanes Mindy, Nicholas and Odette? If you build homes in the eastern half of the country, you know the keep-you-up-at-night concerns related to construction in hurricane-prone areas.
You can sleep easier at night if you’re installing composite shake and slate roofing shingles that resist high winds. Class 4 impact rated DaVinci Roofscapes products permit you to create a home or project that will have a greater chance of being protected from damage related to flying debris during severe weather.
Every impressive DaVinci product has achieved the Miami-Dade County Acceptance and Texas Department of Insurance criteria for high velocity hurricane winds. And, in industry tests, DaVinci tiles have the highest rating for straight line wind testing at 110mph in the ASTM D3161 test. They’ve also passed the TAS-125 certification test for wind uplift resistance in High Velocity Hurricane Zones up to 180mph. In addition, each tile is Class A fire rated and is backed by DaVinci’s Lifetime Limited Materials Warranty.
Putting Composite Roofing to the Test
When Category 4 Hurricane Michael pounded into the Florida Panhandle in 2018, he brought winds upward of 150 mph. As recommended, Port St. Joe resident George Fleet evacuated his oceanfront home. When he returned he was stunned … his was the only completely intact beachfront house standing for miles.
“Every home in my neighborhood had roof damage, except for mine,” says Fleet. “Some houses lost the entire roof and were blown out; others had structural damage with broken windows and lost foundations.”
So, how did Fleet’s home survive? He credits a strong building envelope and his impact-resistant DaVinci Multi-Width Shake roof. “I selected the DaVinci product for both its appearance and durability,” says Fleet. “Now look at it … this roof has survived a Category 4 storm and still looks great!”
Standing Up to Mother Nature
“We’re out here in front of God and everyone.” That’s how Chris Webb, executive director of The Old Baldy Foundation describes the location of the famous lighthouse and Smith Island Museum of History. Both the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage are completely exposed to the elements.
When the cottage needed a new roof recently, Webb reached out to SOS Roofing and Construction in Wilmington, North Carolina. Based on his past experiences of using DaVinci composite shake roofing, the owner, Steve Lyons, immediately suggested and installed DaVinci Multi-Width Shake.
As soon as the roof was finished, it was put to the test. On August 3, 2020, Hurricane Isaias tore into the North Carolina coast. A high-end Category 1 hurricane, it spawned an EF-1 tornado with maximum winds of 105mph on Bald Head Island.
“Incredibly the new DaVinci roof held up just fine,” says Webb. “No tiles came off and not a drop of water inside the keeper’s cottage. We knew it was rated for severe weather and high winds, but we never expected to put it to the test so quickly!
No Coastal Concerns
Excitement over completing a coastal dream home turned to deep concern for Mary and Larry Anderson when their new house faced Hurricane Irma in 2017.
The 9,000-square-foot-waterfront home in Florida sustained no damage from 90+ mph winds and several inches of rain. The Andersons credit strong construction and the use of reliable building products, such as DaVinci Roofscapes composite roofing tiles, with keeping their home safe during the storm.
"We know the DaVinci composite tiles are made to meet Miami Dade Code approvals, but we didn't think they'd be tested so soon," says Larry Anderson. "Our area experienced lots of debris down and power outages for days. For us, we literally just had some landscape damage. There wasn't a leak at all ... this roof held up extremely well to Mother Nature."
Island Adventure
When Hurricane Harvey barreled into Texas on August 25, 2017, it made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane just six short miles from the Mustang Island Episcopal Conference Center.
Severe weather conditions caused 100 percent of the structures in nearby Port Aransas to sustain damage, and buildings at Mustang Island State Park were mostly destroyed. But not the conference center. Just months earlier, it completed installation of impact-resistant DaVinci composite tiles in mansard-style and rooftop applications on several structures at the oceanfront property.
“Wind speeds were between 120 and 140 mph when Harvey came ashore,” says Rob Watson, with Episcopal Diocese of West Texas. “We can’t say enough about the DaVinci product. Only a few shingles blew off during the storm and the conference center received little structural damage.
“We’re looking to add two more housing units, a welcome center and a great room at the conference center. There’s no doubt we’ll use DaVinci products to clad all the new buildings. This product has proven itself during some of the worst weather conditions imaginable. We know we can rely on DaVinci products and we plan to do so repeatedly in the future.”
For more information and product details on all impact- and wind-resistant DaVinci products, visit www.davinciroofscapes.com.